waking with a headache...
Feb. 26th, 2004 09:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thedarksiren2and here I thought it was just my body being tired.
oh no...
see, in the midst of all this hub-bub about gay marriage which, btw, I am not trivializing by any means, BUT, some things are being overlooked as a result, shadowed, if you will.
Last week, after dropping![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wraptboy off at work (I was borrowing his car because Fairuza's demons were a bit more aggressive on this particular day), I decided to listen to Rover's Morning Glory on 92.3 "EXTREME Radio." I like this show sometimes because they are really funny and bicker amongst each other a lot. They also bring up some pretty heavy topics, things that I might not hear about via the news or newspaper.
Rover was FREAKING about Colin Powell's Federal Communications Indecency bill, which has increased the maximum fine for indecency on broadcasts from $27,500 to $275,000. What does this mean for his show? It means that over half of the silliness and most of the reasons they are one of the best mainstream shows in Cleveland are being cut from his show.
I didn't hear much about this overall, just because I had to get to school and shtuff, but I talked to a co-worker who works at Kent State radio, who then explained to me about the fines (Rover didn't mention this, he just kept talking about how helpless and frightening a situation this was), and the basic censorship taking place.
Well, one of the things I remembered very specifically about Rover's show that morning was how he kept saying he wanted to do something, but didn't know what or how. How does a person fight the federal government? His co-horts yelled at him, telling him to leave such fights for the bigger guys, like Howard Stern, to start.
Well, the war has begun, kids.
Clear Channel Suspends Stern's Radio Show
By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - On the eve of a House hearing on broadcast indecency, the nation's largest radio station chain suspended shock jock Howard Stern's show, saying it did not meet the company's newly revised programming standards.
OK, so check THIS out...
delayed 20 mins - disclaimer
Quote Data provided by Reuters
uh-huh. That's right.
DELAYED.
See "CENSORED."
1st Amendment? WHAT???
Stern's suspension Wednesday by Clear Channel Radio was the second time in two days that the company has acted against a disc jockey.
The company on Tuesday fired the DJ known as "Bubba the Love Sponge," whose show drew a record fine of $755,000 from the Federal Communications Commission. The program aired in four Florida cities and included graphic discussions about sex and drugs "designed to pander to, titillate and shock listeners," the FCC said.
Clear Channel's announcement did not say how many of its 1,200 stations carried the Stern show, which is distributed by Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting and derives most of national audience from being carried by Infinity-owned stations. The Washington Post said the Stern show had been carried on six Clear Channel stations.
Under pressure from federal regulators and lawmakers, broadcasters are revisiting their indecency standards, delaying live broadcasts so they can delete offensive material and telling parents how to block specific programs.
Their actions previewed a House subcommittee hearing Thursday on indecency, the second this month. Scheduled to appear were executives from ABC, Fox, NBC, Pax and Clear Channel Communications.
The panel, the House Energy and Commerce telecommunications subcommittee, heard from Mel Karmazin, president of CBS and UPN parent Viacom Inc., two weeks earlier, just before voting to increase the maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000.
In response to letters from FCC Chairman Michael Powell, CBS and Fox outlined steps they were taking: Airing live programs on time delays, displaying ratings for programs on their Web sites, reviewing standards and practices, launching ad campaigns to let parents know about the V-chip, and reminding affiliate stations they may reject network programming viewed as unsuitable for their communities.
ABC and NBC have not yet responded.
Powell's letters to the National Association of Broadcasters and the four major networks followed CBS' Super Bowl halftime show, which ended with Justin Timberlake exposing Janet Jackson's breast to 90 million viewers.
"True and lasting change will only be achieved if the broadcast community recommits to its public service roots and its tradition of abiding by community standards of decency," Powell wrote, urging a return to a voluntary code of conduct, which was dropped in 1982 under Reagan administration pressure.
Under FCC rules and federal law, radio stations and over-the-air television channels cannot air material that refers to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be tuning in. The rules do not apply to cable and satellite channels and satellite radio.
Dr. Frank Wright, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, questioned how long the broadcasters' concern about indecency will last.
"Some of this hand-wringing in public is from the very people who have brought us a rogue's gallery of shock jocks," said Wright, whose association of Christian radio and TV broadcasters counts 1,700 members.
Officials at Clear Channel announced a new indecency policy Wednesday that includes companywide training, possible fines against DJs, and automatic suspensions for anyone accused by the FCC of violating indecency rules on the air.
Announcing that Stern's show was suspended, Clear Channel said the radio host disregarded the company's effort to limit indecency.
"Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content and Howard Stern's show blew right through it," John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio, said in a news release. "It was vulgar, offensive, and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency."
Hogan said the show would not air on the company's stations until it adheres to acceptable broadcasting standards. Hogan was testifying at the House hearing.
Attempts to reach Stern's spokesman for comment late Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Infinity Broadcasting in 1995 paid the largest cumulative fine to date, $1.7 million, for various violations by Stern's radio show.
Infinity asked its 120 radio stations to increase efforts to avoid indecent programming, such as using a seven-second delay on shows with live talk, spokesman Dana McClintock said.
___
On the Net:
House Energy and Commerce Committee: http://energycommerce.house.gov
Federal Communications Commission indecency page: http://www.fcc.gov/pare nts/content.html
+++
Ah hayel...late for school...more on this later. I am a bit unnerved by the world around me, oh yes. Between this, the gay marriage bill, The Passion of Christ being released (which is a great film, btw, but likewraptboy said last night, the last thing this country needed was something to trigger the fanaticism of religion in any regard. REMINDER TO SELF: DAWN, REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE ICK-MAN AND THE NAZI AT BALLY'S FOR LATER.
oh no...
see, in the midst of all this hub-bub about gay marriage which, btw, I am not trivializing by any means, BUT, some things are being overlooked as a result, shadowed, if you will.
Last week, after dropping
wraptboy off at work (I was borrowing his car because Fairuza's demons were a bit more aggressive on this particular day), I decided to listen to Rover's Morning Glory on 92.3 "EXTREME Radio." I like this show sometimes because they are really funny and bicker amongst each other a lot. They also bring up some pretty heavy topics, things that I might not hear about via the news or newspaper.Rover was FREAKING about Colin Powell's Federal Communications Indecency bill, which has increased the maximum fine for indecency on broadcasts from $27,500 to $275,000. What does this mean for his show? It means that over half of the silliness and most of the reasons they are one of the best mainstream shows in Cleveland are being cut from his show.
I didn't hear much about this overall, just because I had to get to school and shtuff, but I talked to a co-worker who works at Kent State radio, who then explained to me about the fines (Rover didn't mention this, he just kept talking about how helpless and frightening a situation this was), and the basic censorship taking place.
Well, one of the things I remembered very specifically about Rover's show that morning was how he kept saying he wanted to do something, but didn't know what or how. How does a person fight the federal government? His co-horts yelled at him, telling him to leave such fights for the bigger guys, like Howard Stern, to start.
Well, the war has begun, kids.
Clear Channel Suspends Stern's Radio Show
By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - On the eve of a House hearing on broadcast indecency, the nation's largest radio station chain suspended shock jock Howard Stern's show, saying it did not meet the company's newly revised programming standards.
OK, so check THIS out...
delayed 20 mins - disclaimer
Quote Data provided by Reuters
uh-huh. That's right.
DELAYED.
See "CENSORED."
1st Amendment? WHAT???
Stern's suspension Wednesday by Clear Channel Radio was the second time in two days that the company has acted against a disc jockey.
The company on Tuesday fired the DJ known as "Bubba the Love Sponge," whose show drew a record fine of $755,000 from the Federal Communications Commission. The program aired in four Florida cities and included graphic discussions about sex and drugs "designed to pander to, titillate and shock listeners," the FCC said.
Clear Channel's announcement did not say how many of its 1,200 stations carried the Stern show, which is distributed by Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting and derives most of national audience from being carried by Infinity-owned stations. The Washington Post said the Stern show had been carried on six Clear Channel stations.
Under pressure from federal regulators and lawmakers, broadcasters are revisiting their indecency standards, delaying live broadcasts so they can delete offensive material and telling parents how to block specific programs.
Their actions previewed a House subcommittee hearing Thursday on indecency, the second this month. Scheduled to appear were executives from ABC, Fox, NBC, Pax and Clear Channel Communications.
The panel, the House Energy and Commerce telecommunications subcommittee, heard from Mel Karmazin, president of CBS and UPN parent Viacom Inc., two weeks earlier, just before voting to increase the maximum fine for indecency from $27,500 to $275,000.
In response to letters from FCC Chairman Michael Powell, CBS and Fox outlined steps they were taking: Airing live programs on time delays, displaying ratings for programs on their Web sites, reviewing standards and practices, launching ad campaigns to let parents know about the V-chip, and reminding affiliate stations they may reject network programming viewed as unsuitable for their communities.
ABC and NBC have not yet responded.
Powell's letters to the National Association of Broadcasters and the four major networks followed CBS' Super Bowl halftime show, which ended with Justin Timberlake exposing Janet Jackson's breast to 90 million viewers.
"True and lasting change will only be achieved if the broadcast community recommits to its public service roots and its tradition of abiding by community standards of decency," Powell wrote, urging a return to a voluntary code of conduct, which was dropped in 1982 under Reagan administration pressure.
Under FCC rules and federal law, radio stations and over-the-air television channels cannot air material that refers to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be tuning in. The rules do not apply to cable and satellite channels and satellite radio.
Dr. Frank Wright, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, questioned how long the broadcasters' concern about indecency will last.
"Some of this hand-wringing in public is from the very people who have brought us a rogue's gallery of shock jocks," said Wright, whose association of Christian radio and TV broadcasters counts 1,700 members.
Officials at Clear Channel announced a new indecency policy Wednesday that includes companywide training, possible fines against DJs, and automatic suspensions for anyone accused by the FCC of violating indecency rules on the air.
Announcing that Stern's show was suspended, Clear Channel said the radio host disregarded the company's effort to limit indecency.
"Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content and Howard Stern's show blew right through it," John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio, said in a news release. "It was vulgar, offensive, and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency."
Hogan said the show would not air on the company's stations until it adheres to acceptable broadcasting standards. Hogan was testifying at the House hearing.
Attempts to reach Stern's spokesman for comment late Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Infinity Broadcasting in 1995 paid the largest cumulative fine to date, $1.7 million, for various violations by Stern's radio show.
Infinity asked its 120 radio stations to increase efforts to avoid indecent programming, such as using a seven-second delay on shows with live talk, spokesman Dana McClintock said.
___
On the Net:
House Energy and Commerce Committee: http://energycommerce.house.gov
Federal Communications Commission indecency page: http://www.fcc.gov/pare nts/content.html
+++
Ah hayel...late for school...more on this later. I am a bit unnerved by the world around me, oh yes. Between this, the gay marriage bill, The Passion of Christ being released (which is a great film, btw, but like
wraptboy said last night, the last thing this country needed was something to trigger the fanaticism of religion in any regard. REMINDER TO SELF: DAWN, REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE ICK-MAN AND THE NAZI AT BALLY'S FOR LATER.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 06:49 am (UTC)That means Clear Channel could lose its license to broadcast. I am not fond of Clear Channel, generally.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 09:18 am (UTC)I don't care for them either.
Interesting tid-bit, however.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 07:07 am (UTC)Also, it is Michael Powell who is in charge of the FCC. Colin's son. It is very dissapointing. Everything pre-shrub I had seen of Colin Powell really really impressed me. I would have voted for him as president. But now he seems to be an errand boy and token black that shrub can point to and say "see? I'm being inclusive!" while making him do all sorts of unplesant tasks as the Secretary of State.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 09:20 am (UTC)Clear Channel is nasty-corporation dirty fingers, for certain.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 09:11 am (UTC)I can't believe these people haven't heard of delay before. It's a policy of our station that we are required to go into delay if we are having guests on the phone or behind the mic. No fines for us, yet. Really, the hardest problem we've had is trying to find the line between indecency and obscenity and stay on the indecent side.
The First Amdendment doesn't come into question in this issue at all, actually. The FCC hasn't banned anyone yet. So far, it's just Clear Channel, who only carried Stern on 6 stations. 6? Out of over 1200 stations that they own. So that's one in 200 of their properties. Hardly an issue.
Somehow, broadcasting is considered different from the press. The government has taken the attitude that the airwaves are similar to public space (but not so public as to guarantee access to anyone who isn't a billionaire) and that you can't display pornography in public. If a broadcast aims to be pornographic or arousing, it has crossed the line. If a broadcast aims to go into graphic detail when talking about the baser bodily functions, it has crossed the line. Anything else is okay, really. At night.
They don't restrict print media. They don't restrict cable or satellite broadcasts. They only restrict what goes out over the airwaves.
But fuck 'em anyway. They've been poor stewards of the airwaves.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 09:26 am (UTC)I just think it's a bit like a constrictor, making the time frames so large -- 6AM until 10PM? The only reason these shows make money is because they can reach a broader audience in the early morning during commutes and such. I mean, I get what you're saying, and am glad you guys at the college stations aren't suffering as a result of all this. I hope that you continue to be in the *safe zone*...I enjoy your show too much to see it get shite from the FCC.
OH, and Stern was only suspended for a while. CCWW did, however, ban some guy down in FLA. Bubba? I don't know...
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 07:30 pm (UTC)Most morning shows start at 6 or so, don't they? I hope nobody has to be in school by 6 or 7.
music is my bomb
Date: 2004-02-26 12:56 pm (UTC)Re: music is my bomb
Date: 2004-02-27 09:27 am (UTC)~;)
Re: music is my bomb
Date: 2004-02-27 09:32 am (UTC)http://www.frolympia.org/
Re: music is my bomb
Date: 2004-02-27 09:38 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing...I found the bit about Clear Channel's revenue particularly fascinating...time to post more on this...heh
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 12:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 09:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 03:44 am (UTC)So yeah, it's illegal to spread lies about minorities here; that's a lot less freedom than the american people has from the current administrations interpretation of the constitution ....
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 09:32 am (UTC)People are such crackheads, I swear.
And see, anyone who gives you shite about freedom of speech should watch some of the commercials over there. I actually miss the ones I saw in Italy last summer. They were a bit crude, but damn if they weren't funny, and there were no holds barred, you know? It's like Europe has the understanding that people everywhere have *gasp* anatomy. Who CARES about Janet Jackson's nipple?!!! At least it was decorated with a pretty jewel!